The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-08
PHASES OF ENGLISH LIFE
Some Of the Political and Social PROB
lens Now Pressing for Solution.
The Protection Cry-Trades Unions and Their
Damaging Work-Absurd Reverence for
Birth and Rank-NatiOn of Drinkers.

| depressed in England. There are soma signs of
revival now. but they are rather sporadic, and
| prudent men do not bank very largely upon
| them. TO an American, who has heard. ever
since he could hear anything, the praises Of
| British free trade ding-donged into his
| ear, nothing be much surprising
| than the open and emphatic expressions favora-
| BILE to protection the only means of prevent
| ing a British collapse. It will be remembered
that not long since parliamentary inquiry was
ordered into the causes of the present condition
| of trade. and that the report, read between the
| lines, was a condemnation of the Golden Bright
system, under which England was to become
veritable paradise. 1t is also to be remembered
that in Manchester, the very head and fountain
of the present school, the Board of Trade was
nearly equally divided upon the naked
question of free trade and protec-
ton. Lord Randolph Churchill, late
Chancellor of the Exchequer, and statesman
who mas probably larger following than any
other in England save Mr. Gladstone, was an
avowed protectonist when he assumed Office,
and the general feeling among the middle class
gentlemen and manufacturers is that the Con-
sentative party, led by Salisbury, is at heart for
the protection of British trade and industry
The doctrine OF protection is heard on every
hand and is openly avowed. In a somewhat
considerable inquiry with men prominent in the
great lace industry and its cognSte branches,
have yet to meet one who does not denounce free
trade practiced in England. 1t is true they
would all like universal free trade, and particu
larry free trade in the United States. They do
not hesitate to avow their desire and hope for
the adoption of practical free-trade system in
America, for then they expect to come in and
control our markets. have not heard En-
glishman argue the sentimental or tho theoretic
side of free trade he is neither sentimentalist
nor a theorist He is Philistine. He
sees his looms and his machines
standing idle, and he sees and knows that the
of his former trade has been greatly cir
cumscribed by the growth of American pro-
duction. His deductions quick and blunt
Either there must be open ports in the United
States, and free field and equal competition
between the underpaid labor here and the we'll
paid labor with us, or Britain must take care of
herself by adopting the American system. It
is not only the United States that is troubling
Engiands trade, but Germany is also hurting
it badly. Take laces for instance Germany has
stimulated the production of laces until it
beat nottingham at it's game-and
German faces. of better quality, meet
Nottingham laces at even lower price. These
and many other interesting facts relating to
this and other branches of manufacture 1 have
had from repeated conversations with Mr..
James Booth who. more than any other man in
England perhaps. is representative OF advanced
lace manufacture. AS indication of the
growth of the protective sentiment in this
country, l may mention the fact that there is
society constantly at work disseminating anti
free-trade literature. Its tracts met on board
ship while coming over, and they are scattered
hr>, I'D Iax
among the 'workingmen. whom Mr. Glad
stones franchise bill has given larger percent
age of political power.
Free trade is not the only thing, of course
that has operated to the disadvantage of trade
and manufacture. The advantage Of a study
of the situation here is to emphasize the fact
that neither free trade nor protection is the
universal panacea. Other considerations affect
the volume of business and industry here
well as in America Nothing can be more inane
than the cry of a select few-'pale-faced pro-
fessors" bankrupt business men. 'cranks" who
manufacture nothing but natural gas, and theo
retical socialists. like Mr.. Beecher, who want to
legislate for society, based upon the principles
of the Sermon the Mount-that given free
trade, and all the ills to which are heir will
be done away with. The extreme view, on the
other hand, that protective tariff will prove q
perfect defense, is little more tenabe. The real
ground, as it seems to ne is that the United
States. with its unique social conditions, cannot
afford to enter its workngmen into free-for all
race with the millions of slaves-for they are
that-in this country who live entirely
different plane, enjoying few of the comforts and
indulgng in mono of the ambitions and aspira-
tons that are common to the American work.
ingman; and that, therefore, tariff to protect
L. IL
cure and maintain the advantages he now I'M
questionaby has. Nothing that have said to
''men in trade" here, as they called. has
caused such open-eyed wonder the wages
paid in the United States. and the general aver
age manner in which an intelligent, industrious
and sob workman lives
Trades-unonism. under non-intelligent man
agement is also doing it's perfect work here. The
lengths to which trades-unlonism goes here is
due. largely, to the social and political conditions
obtaining. The workingman has had little or
nothing to do with affairs He has been a
newer of wood and drawer of water. The yoke of
servitude has been kept upon his neck and the
bond of ignorance upon his mind and spirits
The consequence is that. when he found the
weapon of association he has used it with as
little discretion. and possibly with some such
spirit of hopeless revenge, as actuated Samson
with the original Philistines. There are a
thousand reasons why tradesunionism should
be blind and brutal in this country. and not one
why 1t should be in the United States. With us
the workingman is real social and political
force and he exert himself ntelligently the
betterment OF social and political conditions with
vastly effect than when he essays to use |
mere brute force. Whatever of brutism there |
is in trades unonism with US either |
through foreign influence ignorance, and |
these must give way before the universal |
solvent of educated freedom. But here it has |
not been so, and is not now, and |
the association of workingmen has little other |
aim than the exercise of brute force. Working |
out it's results for years. there is no harmo-
ny between employer and employee, and manu-.
I.sA 49, LIZ. xzadt r..co hat